Upright keywords
Personal power, initiating plans, building, accomplishing goals, ethical, forceful
Reversed keywords
Petty, inflexible, emotionally manipulative, timid
As the old saying goes
The apple never falls far from the tree.
Planet
Mars
Flowers
Honeysuckle, Tiger Lily
The Emperor description
The Emperor is the Father. He is an old man with a wise, stern expression and a fiery orange, yellow, and red background. He holds an orb in his left hand representing yin (feminine) energy and a ankh or scepter in his right hand for yang (masculine) energy. The rams heads are a sign of assertiveness, discipline, stubbornness. The mountains indicate that reaching him involves climbing a difficult assent. The armor under his robes shoes that he is protected and willing to defend his beliefs. The crown is a symbol of authority. He sits on a rigid throne, which may be an indication of his mindset.
Upright meaning
The Emperor is the material masculine and can mean that you have strong yang (masculine) energy. This means that you are looking for order and structure, setting boundaries, motivating yourself, and/or making logical decisions. The card can be associated with fatherhood or represent a father figure in your life. As a father, the Emperor has high expectations for his children and pushes them to be their very best! Use this time to push yourself and expand your thinking. Climb to higher heights and take a look at the view from here. You are being disciplined and taking charge. This could be a sign that you will start to see results.
Reversed meaning
When the Emperor is reversed, you (or a father figure in your life) may be losing your confidence or making decisions without thinking things through. The yang energy is facing resistance in this situation resulting in disorder, avoiding responsibility for your actions, disassociating, failing to set healthy boundaries. This card can represent an emotionally manipulative father or mentor. Take this as a sign that you need to stand up to authority. If you are fed up with a situation, you can change it. If you are being looked to as an authority figure, do not shy away from the role. You can do it!
The Emperor quote
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
-Marcus Aurelius
Want to check in with your higher self?
Tarot helps you step back and consider the bigger picture. This is just a snapshot in time. All things shall pass! Let’s take a look at past, present, and future themes in your life and consider a new direction.